LAS VEGAS (AP) — The music was clearly heard outside the Broncos’ locker room doors, the players inside truly enjoying finally experiencing a victory in Las Vegas.

Bo Nix passed for 273 yards and had two touchdown passes to break the team’s rookie record Sunday, and Denver defeated the reeling Raiders 29-19.

The Broncos (7-5) took another step towards an unexpected playoff spot with their second win in a row.

“We don’t win that game a year ago,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “It wasn’t our best, but it was good enough. We’re on to the next one, so we have a lot to clean up, but it was good to deal with these guys for the second time.”

The Broncos won the first meeting 34-18 in Denver on October 6 to end an eight-game losing streak against the Raiders.

Las Vegas (2-9) has lost seven straight games, its longest losing streak since the 2017-18 seasons.

“I never doubt the mentality of everyone in that locker room,” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “Everyone shows up every day with the mentality of getting better, so that’s all you can ask for.”

Nix finished 25 of 42, and his 18-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton in the third quarter broke the club rookie record of 14 TD passes set by Marlin Briscoe in 1968. Nix and Sutton later connected for a 2-yard TD with 5:30 remaining to give the Broncos a two-possession lead give.

These plays helped erase a 13-9 halftime deficit. The Broncos outscored Las Vegas 20-6 in the second half after adjusting to the Raiders’ willingness to repeatedly apply more pressure than expected.

“We had to change that mentality,” Nix said. “We went into the game expecting (some). We had a number of calls for it, so now we had to respond to that and adapt to it. I thought we handled the pressure well and got some more one-on-one situations.”

Denver lost its previous four games at Allegiant Stadium. This was also the Broncos’ first win in this series since losing to the then-Oakland Raiders on October 11, 2015.

“I think the tide is turning,” Sutton said. “The Broncos are in a place where we want to be back in the AFC West, and I think that’s a very exciting place to be in. Job’s not done yet.”

Sutton caught eight passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak of 70-yard games to five. That’s the longest streak by a Broncos player since Demaryius Thomas’ eighth straight win in 2014.

Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew landed hard on his left shoulder late in the match and was replaced by Desmond Ridder. According to multiple reports, Minshew will miss the rest of the season with a broken collarbone.

Minshew completed 25 of 42 passes for 230 yards, with a touchdown and interception. The best passing play, however, came on a fake punt when AJ Cole completed a 34-yard pass to linebacker Divine Deablo to score a field goal in the second quarter.

That was one of four field goals by Daniel Carlson, whose duel with Broncos counterpart Will Lutz kept Las Vegas in the game. They combined to make all nine attempts, including three of more than 50 yards.

Jakobi Meyers caught 10 passes for 121 yards. That’s his best game since 2020, when Meyers played for the New England Patriots and caught 12 passes for 169 yards against the New York Jets.

Crosby recorded his 100th tackle for loss in the second quarter, becoming the fourth player to reach that number since at least 1999 in his first six seasons. The others were JJ Watt, Aaron Donald and DeMarcus Ware.

The Raiders are a shadow of themselves. They played this game without their top two running backs and two starters at cornerback, two at defensive line and one at safety.

“Credit Vegas,” Payton said. “They came out and had some fire around them, but they lost.”

Raiders special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was not coaching, but no reason was given. Derius Swinton II fulfilled these duties.

Injuries

Broncos: CB Riley Moss (knee) left the game late in the first half. DE Zach Allen (heel) did not play.

Raiders: RBs Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps) and CBs Nate Hobbs (ankle) and Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) did not play.

Next

Broncos: Host Cleveland on Monday, December 2.

Raiders: Friday afternoon in Kansas City.

___

AP N.F.L.: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl